Sailor Moon R - Promise of the Rose - Scene Rewrite
by purinsesu-sereniti
Summary: One-shot of the finale of Sailor Moon R - Promise of the Rose.


Don't worry… I won't die…"

Her words echoed in their thoughts. Her sweet, knowing smile haunted their minds as they watched her, swathed in ribbons, blonde hair billowing in the strong winds. Each of her guardians lay helplessly behind her, knowing full well that they were failing her. A fist was gripped, a mouth set in a thin line, each girl's anxiety rising to its fullest levels.

And then… There he was… He was the reason she'd come to this planet. He was the reason she was there, her head bowed as if in deep thought, about to use a power that could very well kill her. He could see it, the soft sparkle of the light at her chest. Mamoru wished with all of his heart that he could stand beside her, to not allow her to face this alone. But he was weak.. So very weak. Even her powerful Senshi were helpless in this moment.

Her eyes then snapped open, lids rising with a sweep of her lashes, revealing the determination set in her blue orbs. Hands rose to her chest and she willed the crystal to leave the confines of the locket at her breast. The crystal appeared in a flash and she felt its power flooding her entire being; her hands rose high above her head, the crystal radiating a warmth that everyone could feel. The ribbons began to wind around her limbs and then the light transformed her. A collective gasp went up behind her, as her Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen caught sight of her appearance. "Princess!" She heard Venus cry out in awe, though she could hear the concern as well.

"Usagi!" Mars, the one to still see her as her.

"Be careful!" Sweet, loving Mercury… Her first friend, her first comrade.

"Usagi-chan!" Jupiter's voice rang out last, her apprehension quite evident.

"Serenity…" Though soft, she heard it, heard him calling out to her. They were all there, right behind her, as they always were. Her dearest friends, her most precious loved ones… She wouldn't let them die here. They would make it home, all of them together.

Her hands could not help but to shake a little as she threw her arms out in front of her; the silver light erupted, spreading forth, wrapping around the front side of the planet. It became quite apparent to Usagi that the amount of power she was channeling was far greater than any time before. She could feel the power as it tried to break her apart, but she wasn't about to give in. "Please, ginzuishou, please lend me more power. Power to protect everyone!" Her voice rang out, shrill and anxious, as she fought to keep her arms aloft. "Power so no one will ever be alone again!"

Behind her, Mamoru was watching in silent terror. He knew what could happen if she used too much of the crystal's power. It could kill her as easily as it could save others. His heart was hammering hard within his chest, his blue eyes darkening. He knew he wasn't that powerful, that he didn't have much to offer her… But he wasn't going to let her face this alone. He would stand at her side, where he belonged. Without another thought, he rose to his feet, eyes closing, power focused and growing. When his eyes opened once more, his attire had changed, his tuxedo replaced by his princely uniform.

Venus caught sight of his change, of his determination, and she knew that they too had to act. "Guys! Let's join in too!" She called out to the other girls and she too was rising up.

"We should support Usagi with our remaining power!" Jupiter agreed, also standing, the wind whipping her ponytail all about.

"Yeah! We won't die!" Typical Mars, confident and ready as she stood.

"Let's all go back to Earth together!" Mercury was the last to call out, as she got up and joined the other three girls. They began to walk closer to where Serenity was, their steps slow against the swirling winds and crumbling rock. Beneath their feet, the very meteor was falling to pieces, being destroyed by the force of it hurtling through space at such a fast speed. It was sure to completely disintegrate before very long. The girls knew that they had to act fast and help their princess before it was too late.

Serenity fell to her knees, weakening with each passing second. Her eyes closed, she could feel her arms shaking as she held them before her, the crystal shining between her palms. It was all coming down to this; if she gave up now, it would all be over… She had to stay strong! But she was getting so weak… So tired… Her whole body was screaming in protest, already weakened from the long battle, and she could feel something deep within her threatening to break. But then, she felt the warmth of another and the weight of hands… Eyes opening, she glanced to her right, her eyes widening. "Endymion!" She murmured, suddenly feeling as if she could do anything. He always gave her strength… Always provided her with the little extra boost she needed.

Behind them, the four guardian Senshi had gathered in a straight line; they each grasped the others hand, united as one single unit. All of them together, offering up what was left of their power. Serenity could feel each one of them, could feel their distinct powers and auras, long before they spoke a word. It was always this way- her Senshi and Mamoru giving her the power. Without them, she was nothing. The ginzuishou was said to have infinite power- but that power was only maximized when she had something to protect. And she had many things to protect. Having her four guardians behind her and Mamoru at her side refreshed her, warmed her, and she knew that without a doubt, they would be returning home shortly.

"Mercury Star Power!"

"Mars Star Power!"

"Jupiter Star Power!"

"Venus Star Power!"

With each cry of the words, the Senshi's power gathered within her crystal. Serenity could feel the strength filling her until she felt as if it would spill over. "Moon Crystal Power!" She cried out, forcing out the wave of power. It was too much, she knew it at once. The pink light spread across them all and she could already feel the planet slowing its speed. The crystal was shaking hard and she could feel her heart as it hammered hard within her chest. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself on, until just as the planet curved and glided past Earth, the ginzuishou cracked and then shattered into hundreds of tiny little pieces.

As she fell back, she knew it was worth it. She had saved them, at the very least.

[ x x x ]

They were floating along on the smallest chunk of the planet that remained. It had been destroyed, much like the crystal had been, leaving behind nothing more than some rubble debris. They were gathered in a small clump, the four guardians forming a semi circle around Mamoru and Usagi.

Mamoru could not speak, could not even breathe. He held her in his arms, his hand clutching hers, desperate to feel her squeeze back. She was lifeless and still, her head lolling back and forth as Rei shook her. "Usagi! Hey, Usagi!" Mars was crying, all of the girls were by now, as they looked over Usagi's fallen form. This was not how it was supposed to end. "Wake up Usagi! You said… You said you wouldn't die!" Her tears were blurring her vision now and so she sat back slightly, unable to feel anything but pure sorrow.

"There's no point if we're the only ones to survive," Mercury cried out, her hand rising to cover her face as her tears turned to sobs.

"Please, open your eyes Usagi…" Jupiter murmured, her mind unable to stop itself from flashing back to that moment at D-Point, where the roles had been reversed. Now Makoto truly understood what Usagi and the other girls had felt that day, when she was the first to be taken. There were no words to describe what it felt like to be left behind by death.

"We've lost the thing most dear to us after all…" Venus said, aloud yes but more so to herself than to anybody else. Yet again, she had failed in her duty of protecting the princess. She had let her die twice now. What kind of guardian was she? Her heart was broken, literally, as she looked over her princess, who's chest was not even rising and falling. Venus wished with all her being that she could trade places with her, that she was the one dead and Usagi was crying over her instead.

Mamoru could not even cry; his shock was too great. He had never anticipated such a thing to have happened. His heart was aching however, and he held tight to her hand, wondering just what there was that he could do. He had only ever wanted to protect her and look at what he had done to her. It was his fault this had happened. Just how was he going to live with himself?

"Mamoru…"

The soft voice caused him to look up and to his surprise, it was Fiore standing there, his smile true and his eyes gentler than ever before. This was the Fiore that Mamoru remembered. "Fiore…"

"Thank you… You and Sailor Moon have saved me again. Now… Now I can fulfill that promise I made to you." He said and held out his hands. In his outstretched palms, a beautiful flower coming to life. Mamoru then noticed that he had reverted back to his child form, as if he were going to start all over again."This is a flower of life. It contains the sum of all my energy. Give the nectar to Sailor Moon." He held the flower closer to Mamoru who somehow, knew what he had to do.

Leaning forward, he pressed his lips to the petal of the glittering flower, his lips becoming coated by the nectar. Then, he pulled Usagi close, his lips finding hers. As he kissed her, he heard the surprised gasps of the Senshi gathered around him. Pulling up, his face hovering above hers, he watched as the blue eyes fluttered open. He glanced downwards and saw that her destroyed compact was back, with the ginzuishou in its rightful place. Rising up a bit, to give her some space, he saw her confused eyes as she looked around, as the memories came flooding back.

"Mamo-chan… Everyone…" Usagi murmured as she glanced around, taking in the tear-stained faces of her Senshi. She was tired, more tired than she had ever been before. But, it was all worth it, because they were all together and safe. "I told you… I'd protect everyone." She accused as she looked back up at Mamoru, who's face crumpled into a smile as tears spilled down his cheeks. Within seconds, the four girls were throwing themselves at her, each one trying to grab hold onto some part of her. All four were trying to talk at once, Mars the loudest of all, saying to her how dare you scare me like that and I'm never speaking to you again which caused all of them to laugh, because they knew it wasn't true. They were all just so happy that they would have another chance to crowd into Rei's room and "study" and gossip. Happy that they had yet another chance to be together.


End file.
